From knowledge to action: how Portuguese higher education students engage with circular economy principles

This study investigates the perceptions and practices of Portuguese higher education students regarding the circular economy (CE), emphasising their knowledge, attitudes, and behaviours toward sustainable resource management. Carried out by the Working Group on Circular Economy and Waste Management of the Portuguese Sustainable Campus Network (RCS), the research used an online survey targeting students from 20 higher education institutions (HEIs), resulting in 400 responses. The findings indicate that while students generally hold positive views of the CE, their understanding of its practical applications, such as waste reduction and resource efficiency, remains limited. Only a small proportion of students reported exposure to CE-related topics in their curriculum, revealing a gap in academic integration. This study also identifies significant demographic variations in CE awareness and practices, influenced by factors such as age, field of study, and employment status. These insights underscore the need for HEIs to strengthen CE education and actively involve students in hands-on sustainability initiatives, fostering a generation equipped to drive the transition toward a circular economy.

Description

The authors would like to acknowledge the Ethics Committee of the Polytechnic University of Beja for analysing the research proposal and ensuring compliance with ethical issues. The authors would also like to thank the Sustainable Campus Network—Portugal for creating the Working Group on Circular Economy and Waste Management, which includes the authors and made this research possible. This work acknowledges the support of: CREATE—Center for Sci-Tech Research in Earth System and Energy, 7000-671 Évora, Portugal; UID/05488/2020—Techn&Art Technology, Restoration and Arts Enhancement Center; “Laboratório HERCULES—Herança Cultural, Estudos e Salvaguarda” funded by FCT, under reference UIDB/04449/2020; “IN2PAST—Associate Laboratory for Research and Innovation in Heritage, Arts, Sustainability and Territory”; Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT) via the project CDRSP Base Funding (https://doi.org/10.54499/UIDB/04044/2020); FCT/MCTES (UIDB/05608/2020 and UIDP/05608/2020)—H&TRC; by FCT under reference LA/P/0132/2020 and the FCT within the framework of the UID/04292/MARE—Marine and Environmental Sciences Centre.

Keywords

Circular economy Sustainability education Higher education institutions Environmental awareness Student engagement Sustainable campus network FCT_UIDB/05608/2020 FCT_UIDP/05608/2020

URI

http://hdl.handle.net/10400.21/21924

Citation

Pardal A, Moreira A, Galacho C, Mateus D, Viegas L, Manteigas V, et al. From knowledge to action: how Portuguese higher education students engage with circular economy principles. Sustainability. 2025;17(7):3279.